When I was in Los Angeles two years ago, I was horrified by the puppy boutiques located in popular shopping districts, hawking pets as accessories.While the legislation doesn’t cover the stores I saw, I’m hoping West Hollywood’s actions will encourage other cities to do the same.

The ban, which was also adopted last year in South Lake Tahoe, encourages stores to offer shelter pets for adoption instead of selling dogs from puppy mills and backyard breeders.Hopefully the legislation will also help discourage people from buying dogs on impulse, since potential adopters will be screened.

West Hollywood is home to many celebrities and trendsetters, but the city has also become a trailblazer in animal legislation.The city added a local tax deduction for pet adoption fees, amended code to change the word “pet owner” to “guardian,” and was the first municipality in the country to prohibit cat declawing.

The passage of the new ban is a victory for the Companion Animal Protection Society, who supported the legislation, but they’re already looking towards their next goal: Los Angeles.